The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Denis Malgin to a new one-year deal. The contract will carry a salary of $700K and pushes restricted free agency a year into the future for the young forward.
Importantly for a cap-strapped team like the Maple Leafs, Malgin will come in under the amount he would have received through a qualifying offer. While that offer could have been a two-way deal (which it appears this is not), it would have been worth $787,500 at the NHL level. Even minuscule savings are important for Toronto at this point and given the fact that Malgin was also arbitration-eligible, it seemed plausible that he wouldn’t even receive a qualifying offer in the first place.
Instead, he’ll return to the team on the league minimum and continue in his role as a depth option next season. Malgin was acquired in exchange for Mason Marchment in February and ended up playing eight games for the Maple Leafs before the season was canceled. He failed to score a point during those games, but does have 60 in his 192-game NHL career.
Still just 23, Malgin will likely be in the competition at Maple Leafs camp for a fourth-line spot next season. With so much money tied up at the top of the roster, Toronto has to use inexpensive options at the bottom.
Difference maker
At 5-9, tipping the scales at a bruising 177lb, and *only* a -20 in his career, I’d say you nailed it, @MoneyBallJustWorks. He is destined to be a standout 4th-liner, guaranteed to steal digital ink away from the likes of Marner, Matthews, Johnny T., and, even Willy Ny, The Coaster Guy. ;)
Beautiful comment.
Ooh looks like the leafs went Malgin on this sigh-ning.